. >>> and 27 days to go when the fiscal cliff arrives, so why are so many members of the house going home when they're supposed to be working on it? >>> and people showing up for others, right when they need it. nightly news begins now. >>> good evening, we begin tonight with an important story, details of which may sound very familiar to a lot of americans, given our history over the past few years in places like iraq. tonight, pentagon sources are telling nbc news syria is preparing chemical weapons for their possible use against the syrian people in the form of aerial bombs. it is believed this specific intelligence is the reason why president obama took a hard line against syria just a few days ago, warning them there would be consequences if these weapons were used. let's begin here tonight with the very latest. >> reporter: good evening, brian, u.s. officials tell us that the syrian military is poised tonight to use chemical weapons against its own people. and all it would take is the final order from syrian president assad. as the fighting grows more intense and syrian rebels